PAMPHYLIA. Aspendos. Circa 400-380 BC. Stater (Subaeratus, 25 mm, 10.91 g, 6 h), a contemporary plated imitation. Two nude wrestlers, standing and grappling with each other. Rev. [ΕΣΤFΕ]ΔΙΙΥΣ Slinger standing right; to right, triskeles running right; all within dotted square border within incuse square; four countermarks: hoplite standing to right, shield behind, within circular incuse, facing bull's head, antelope or goat standing to right, within rectangular incuse; and galley(?), within circular incuse. Cf. SNG Paris 52 and Tekin Series 3 for prototype. Breaks in plating, otherwise, about very fine.


Interestingly, while this coin was plated, it was countermarked four times and also tested for its purity with a small test cut. None of these punches penetrated the silver plating, and one wonders whether they were applied by the forgers to cleverly disguise the copper core, which would also explain the clumsy style of the countermarks.